Strider (Mega Drive)/Reception
Upon release, the Mega Drive/Genesis port of Strider was considered an earlier Killer App for the system, being well received by reviewers and getting recognition from magazines of the time. It was often praised for being a very faithful conversion of the Arcade game in both looks and gameplay and an overall outstanding Arcade-to-Genesis portMatt; Julian (November 1990). "Mega Drive Review: Strider" (English). Mean Machines (2). Pg. 18-21.Leadbetter, Richard (December 1990). "Review: Strider" (English). Computer & Video Games (109). Pg. 70.McFerran, Damien (February 17, 2012). "Strider Review" (English). Nintendolife.com. Accessed June 16, 2019., only surpassed two years later by the almost perfect conversion for the Sharp X68000. Critical Reception Computer and Video Games magazine gave Strider a 95% rating and their "C+VG Hit!" seal of quality stating graphics, sound and gameplay to be the same as in the Arcade original and calling it an "utterly fantastic platform game" and one of the best in the Genesis yet. Mean Machines' Matt and Julian gave the port a 92% and called it "an absolutely cracking conversion that's identical to the coin-op in every way". Brett Alan Weiss of All Media Guide called the Genesis port "a nice effort and a lot of fun for someone who likes to travel through a dark future Earth killing everything in his/her path with a giant sword", while also noting that "it does get a little repetitious using the same weapon over and over. And the sound your sword makes is annoying from the start. Even so, this is an exciting game"Weiss, Brett Alan. "Strider - Review". AMG. Accessed from archive.org. Retrieved June 16, 2019.. ACE gave it a 919 and its "ACE Rated" seal given to games of outstanding quality, citing this adaptation surpassed the high standards set by the Golden Axe port.Haynes, Rik (January 1991). "Console Screentest: Strider". ACE: Advanced Computer Entertainment (40). Pg. 103. EGM was particularly impressed with Strider, devoting portions of three separate issues to it and awarding it with Genesis Game of the Year 1990. It was also the winner of their "Best Graphics" category"The 1991 Video Game Buyer's Guide". Electronic Gaming Monthly, issue 15. October 1990.. They were so impressed by the conversion that the magazine specifically noted they evaluated a prerelease EPROM version of the game, feeling that Strider was "presently of such high quality that it deserved this unique honor of being the best of the year". Reviewing the Virtual Console version, Damien McFerran of Nintendo Life gave it a 9/10 score, concluding that the port's magic "hasn't diminished one jot, despite the passage of over two decades", and praising its gorgeous visuals, excellent music, graceful and fluid controls and surprisingly stern challenge. Strider has also been listed by Mega magazine as the 31th top Mega Drive games of all timeStaff (October 1992). Mega (01). Future Publishing. Pg. 76., and is the best Genesis game ever in ScrewAttack's top 20 Genesis games feature. Staff (August 16, 2012). ScrewAttack's Top Ten Video - Top 20 Genesis Games (10-1). DEATH BATTLE! official YouTube channel. Accessed June 16, 2019. Strider fared well in Japan as well, with Famitsu's 4-reviewers format giving it 6/8/8/6 for a total 28/40 pointsStaff (November 1990). "Strider Hiryu" (Japanese). Famitsu (113). Pg. 156., Beep! MegaDrive giving it a 4-reviewer score of 7/6/9/8 for a total 30/40 pointsStaf (October 1990). "BEEP Mega - Dog Race" (Japanese). Beep! MegaDrive (10). Pg. 23., and Mega Drive FAN giving it a 22/30 scoreStaff (July 15, 1993). "July Special Edition Mega Drive & Game Gear All Catalog '93" (Japanese). Mega Drive FAN (Vol. 5, #7). Pg. 16.. Strider was also featured on episode 128 (Season 15, episode 12) of GameCenter CX aired October 20, 2011. The series is a gaming-oriented variety show starring comedian Shinya Arino as he tries to clear a different retro video game in each episode. References Category:Subpages Category:Strider Subpages